Drives & Controls Show raises the bar even further for 2014

With only weeks to go, the free-to-attend exhibition will cover mechanical power transmission, motion control and automation from over 300 companies from around the globe. Just some of the equipment, systems and services offered by these companies will include:

• Motors
• Drives
• Machine safety
• Sensors
• Programmable controllers
• Inverters
• Motion controls
• Repairs & maintenance
• Gear, brakes, clutches and couplings
• Displays & meters
• Test & Measurement

For 2014, the biennial Drives & Controls exhibition will once again be co-located with complementary shows Plant & Asset Management and Air-Tech, together with the Fluid Power & Systems Exhibition, and the newly launched European Offshore & Energy Exhibition, as well as MACH. Just some of the recent signatories to next year's show include:

• Beckhoff Automation
• Marelli UK
• Schaeffler
• ILME
• Leuze
• Lafert Motors
• B&R Industrial Automation
• Micro-Epsilon
• Harting
• Weg Motors

Seminar programme

Complementing the exhibitions will be a full programme of FREE technical seminars, with speakers offering expert insight and practical advice on important and topical issues. New to Drives & Controls 2014 will be the Motor Driven Systems (MDS) programme, which brings together the varied strands of legislation, standardisation, system strategies and technological developments that affect motor-driven systems. Featuring representatives from the UK Government, the EU, research bodies, trade associations, manufacturers and end users, MDS focuses on practical solutions to real-life industry requirements.

Electric motor-driven systems comprise 40 per cent of the world's total electricity consumption. Despite this, many businesses are unaware of the technologies available that have the potential to significantly reduce their energy costs, and in turn the global demand for electricity by 20-30 per cent. MDS presents a series of live events that focus on ways to make these huge savings a reality by applying a systems engineering approach to reduce energy, improve performance and ultimately save money.

Drives & Controls' exhibition sales director, Doug Devlin, comments: "Already, we are up on bookings for 2014 and have increased space to accommodate the demand. And, with the launch of our new exhibition European Offshore & Energy, this will substantially increase the "footfall'. The impressive visitor numbers for Drives & Controls and its co-located shows in 2012 confirmed increasing growth and confidence within manufacturing and engineering. The high level of attendance was also a reflection of the continued commitment by industry to support these important biennial events." Devlin added that the high attendance figures also impressed the 2012 show's exhibitors, who reported a high level of quality leads, including those from Blue Chip organisations.

Ian Atkinson, managing director of event organiser, DFA Media, comments: "For 2014 we will build on the success of our 2012 shows by further improving the look and layout of each exhibition within our co-location of events, as well as making it as easy as possible for visitors to navigate their way around each separate event. We will also further enhance the format of our valued seminar programme for next year, which will include the Motor Driven Systems (MDS) programme for the first time, as well as many other attractive highlights. The combination of leading manufacturing events, with a highly focused seminar programme, will give visitors a unique opportunity to keep abreast of the latest industry developments by visiting a single co-located event. "

UK Trade & Investment to have major presence

It was also recently confirmed UKTI will feature prominently in the conference and seminar programmes staged at all the co-located shows: Fluid Power & Systems, Air-Tech, Drives & Controls and Plant & Asset Management. During its seminar presentations, UKTI will highlight many of the areas it is currently working and the levels of success it is currently achieving for UK businesses.

Jim Feeney, head of UKTI's Advanced Manufacturing Events, comments on the Government Department's decision to exhibit and speak at the event: "When event organiser DFA Media approached me to consider whether I should add this event to the portfolio of events in the UK and Internationally where UKTI seek to provide a platform for international business to be done and export contracts to be won, I was immediately interested.

"The initial approach was based on UKTI's role in the oil & gas sector, a sector where we have a significant profile - and a successful role - in supporting British business from the major oil companies like Shell and BP down through each tier of the supply chain to SMEs. However, my colleagues and I saw this wide-ranging engineering event as offering an opportunity broader than just oil & gas where we already have a very strong and responsive customer base."

Feeney continues: "We felt this event offered the opportunity to reach businesses which were not yet exporting and introduce them to UKTI and engage with existing exporters and introduce them to new markets. We plan to do both at the event. We will seek to highlight the work UKTI does locally, nationally and internationally and to introduce and explain the product range of support available through government networks and the business partners with whom we regularly operate.

"We will put together a strong presence at the show with the intention of assisting more companies to explore exporting for the first time, or to consider new markets, or to identify potential new customers in existing export markets with our team on site during the event. We will be able to provide details of our programme of activities across all sectors through 2014-15 and beyond, and will be able to explain how and where UKTI support can fit the needs of individual companies. I am looking forward to it."

For more information and updates on Drives & Controls 2014, please visit www.drives-expo.com.